The Darth Maul Game That Could Have Been

It looks like there was a Star Wars game in production before Lucas Arts was sold off that could have rivaled the much anticipated bounty hunter adventure, Star Wars: 1313. I was reading an article on GameInformer yesterday about such a game that had been being developed at Red Fly studios that focuses on one of Star Wars' most badass characters, Darth Maul. Yeah just let that sink in for a moment. I know, it's incredibly depressing because this looks like it truly had potential to be an awesome game worthy of Darth Maul and we won't ever get to play it. You can see some gameplay for yourself in the video below, courtesy of GameInformer.

What's even more surprising is this is all prototype and concept stage material. (I posted some concept art below) Red Fly didn't have a script or a clear idea of where they were going with this game. I feel that doesn't even matter though, just looking at how beautiful Maul looks slashing through Mandalorians with that double bladed lightsaber feels so satisfying. There would be no shortage of possible plot-lines the studio could have chosen to follow as well and with a team of writers, a script would have been a cinch. While I would have preferred an origin type story line that takes place before Maul's appearance in Phantom Menace, I wouldn't mind taking control of a cyborg Maul as he rises from the ashes.

This Twi'lek appears here and in the art above. She may have been some kind of companion

Unfortunately, since Disney's acquisition of Lucas Arts, we may never see games featuring Darth Maul or something similar to Star Wars: 1313. EA still holds the rights to Lucas Arts video game properties though and Battlefront III is definitely a step in the right direction. Hopefully they step up their game and take cues from concepts like this in the future. Check out some of the concept art below (again, courtesy of GameInformer) and feel free to let me know just how bad you would have loved to play this game.

It looks like Red Fly was planning a story after Phantom Menace due to the robotic legs

Batman: Arkham Knight Announced with Trailer

Rocksteady has wasted no time in their development of another Arkham title with Batman hitting the streets of Gotham once again to round up the criminals. The trailer lasts an awesome four minutes and  depicts Gotham, overrun with criminals and villains like Two Face and Penguin. The city seems to be in the process of being evacuated as citizens flee in terror. Thomas Wayne, father of Bruce narrates the trailer as Batman jumps into sweet looking new Batmobile and kicks some butt.

The trailer looks great and the game is looking a little different from the previous Arkham titles. Bruce, while still muscular looks a little slimmer. He's not quite as buff and his arms don't look to short for his body. His body looks more realistic and more proportional than it had before. That kind of bothered me in the other games and I thought he always looked a little strange. His suit also looks, Blacker? There's definitely something cooler looking about the suit but I can't quite pinpoint it.

Despite how awesome it looks though, this announcement is also very surprising, especially after Arkham Origins was just released in October. Arkham Knight is already available for pre-order and is currently slated for a October 14th release. That's a pretty fast turn around for a game. I'm wary for what this means for the Arkham series. Arkham Origins was met with generally postive reviews, but many noted the game was more of the same and did little to mix things up.

So what does that mean for Arkham Knight? Is it too soon for another Arkham game, or does it just need to be done right? Will Rocksteady take the advice of the fans and change things up a bit, or should we expect more of the same? And on that note, what do you want from this new entry? What would really get you excited for this game? Speaking of exciting things, I almost forgot to mention, Rocksteady also revealed that sweet new Batmobile is integral to the game and Gotham is being built to accommodate some driving! Yeah, just think about that for a little bit.

I'm Suddenly Excited for Guardians of the Galaxy After this Trailer

The first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy hit the web last night after it made its debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live and its full of awesome looking space-pirate, alien prison, and ship battling action. The movie follows a space pirate, Quill played by Chris Pratt who prefers to go by the moniker, Star Lord. Quill finds himself on the run after he steals a mysterious orb from the film's villain, Ronan (Lee Pace) who desires the orb to complete his evil plans, threatening the universe. Quill is forced to join forces with a rag-tag band of misfits and become the titular Guardians of the Galaxy.

Judging by the trailer, the Marvel movie directed by James Gunn seems to follow the the same style of the Avengers movie. Combining an all-star cast of heroes for an action packed adventure with some quirky humor rubbed in for comic relief. Bradley Cooper will be voicing the animated and snarky, Rocket-Raccoon and is teamed up with the tree-like alien, Groot voiced by Vin Diesel. Ron Pearlman, Zoe Saldana, and Dave Bautista are just a few of the other stars with roles in the movie. 

Guardians of the Galaxy wasn't originally on my movie radar but after watching the trailer, I'm feeling very hyped and I can't wait to see the movie in theaters on August first. What do you think? Does this movie look awesome, or are you still skeptical. 

NECA Announces Ellen Ripley Figures

NECA, the toy company responsible for making awesome action figures like the Predator line and figures from the Alien series made a big announcement yesterday. NECA has finally gained the rights to the likeness of Sigourney Weaver and they have confirmed that Lt. Ellen Ripley action figures, plural, are on the way. NECA is planning a figure of Ripley in a Nostromo spacesuit and at least one other figure from Aliens, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see more.

This is such big news because Ripley is easily the most important and recognizable character from the Alien series. Weaver however wasn't interested in being made into an action figure and collectors were forced to be content with characters like Hicks, Hudson, and Dallas among a few others (might I note, these figures all look incredible still). NECA was recently able to get approval from Weaver though; perhaps she saw what a great job the guys over at NECA were doing and realized just how bad fans wanted the figure. NECA's Twitter feed was full of fans expressing their thanks and excitement over the news that they will finally be able to fill that gap in their collection.

As a fan of the Alien series, I am also very pleased to see that NECA will be making a Ripley action figure. I don't think there is any company that could do it better, nor any that I would prefer oversee the making of this figure. I'll be looking forward to the prototype reveal in summer during Comic-Con and purchasing them later this year hopefully. What other iterations of the Ripley figure would you want to see? 

New York Toyfair: NECA Reveals Booker DeWitt, Team Fortress and More

Out of all the Bioshock fans out there, I was probably one of the most desperate when it came to waiting for NECA to reveal their Booker DeWitt figure from Bioshock Infinite. I've been tracking their Twitter page where they are always answering the questions of fans and posting updates on all the different figures they're working on. Day after day, since August, I checked their Twitter feed with no luck. It wasn't until this past weekend that photos of the Booker DeWitt figure surfaced on the internet from the NECA showroom at the 2014 New York Toy Fair.

After finally seeing it, I finally feel the satisfaction I've been yearning for. The figure is very impressive complete with details like the embroidery on Booker's vest, the leather shoulder holster and even the tie. They all work together to make the figure come alive. The face resembles Booker's character model perfectly and I couldn't ask for any more on this figure. It looks like he'll come with a shotgun and a Murder of Crows vigor but these may not be final. There's still no release date for the figure but hopefully it isn't far off. 

Booker wasn't the only reveal though. Video game fans will also be happy to see that a Red Spy and Red Engineer will be joining the collection of Team Fortress figures that NECA has been steadily rolling out. I would have liked to see a turret for the Engineer but who knows, it could be in the works. A prototype of Master Chief from the Halo series was on display as well, but is an early work in progress. Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight will be getting a 1/4 scale figure which captures the true menace of the character and looks great, even standing next to a 1/4 scale Batman from Arkham Origins.

There were also a slew of reveals for NECA's more popular lines like Predator and Alien. From the Alien series, Dallas in a Nostromo spacesuit, an indisposed Kane in a spacesuit with a face hugger, the android Bishop, and a Dog Alien are all looking phenomenal. The power loader from Aliens made an appearance and NECA has confirmed that figures can fit inside to operate it!

You can see almost two hundred images here that show just about everything NECA had presented in their showroom, check it out and go follow them on Twitter for updates and news on their figures. 

Thief: Explore the Possibilities in this New Trailer

Over the past few months, I have been skeptical about the Eidos Montreal reboot of Thief. I played the original Thief games on the computer back in the nineties and the fantasy and fun that they created for me will be hard for this reboot to follow up. If you've been keeping up though, Eidos Montreal has flooded the web with walk through videos and demonstrations showing a variety of new possibilities in the upcoming reboot. Now, a new trailer released earlier today ties them all together for one big trailer filled with plenty of thieving.

The new trailer has me anticipating Thief more than I had been but I'm still cautious. Incredible looking visuals made possible by modern technology certainly breathe new life into the series. The last Thief game, Thief: Deadly Shadows was released nearly 10 years ago in 2004 so the jump of an entire generation of game consoles is quite the face lift. Eidos Montreal seems to have done a great job with the environments which capture the pivotal dark, steampunk atmosphere. They also seem to have adopted the ever popular free running style of navigating buildings and rooftops which is appropriate for someone in Garrett's line of work. Garrett's arsenal of tools and weapons at his disposable also seems to have been expanded allowing for plenty of ways to reach your goal. 

My main concerns aren't with visuals however, the size of the city or how many tools Garrett has in his inventory. I could return to the original Thief games on the computer and enjoy it for hours. What matters to me is the story and the true feel of Thief. Many have pointed out it looks Bethesda's Dishonored when in fact, Bethesda has admitted to having been heavily inspired by the early Thief games. I don't want Eidos Montreal to feel like they have to live up to Dishonored. 

No, Eidos Montreal needs to live up to the original Thief games by crafting Garrett as the character he was originally conceived as. He's a true anti-hero; a cynical loner shrouded in mystery. He does things his way, because he wants to. His interests serve only himself. He doesn't steal because he needs to, he steals because he wants too. He craves the challenge and the excitement of stealing. He's been compared to Robin Hood but he's more like a medieval Han Solo if you think about it. I think if Eidos Montreal can pull off the creation of Garrett the game will be a success. 

I'm sure many early fans of the Thief series feel the same way and they will have very high standards for this game. What do you think, fan or not are you looking forward to Thief? The game will be available on the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3, PS4 and PC February 27th. 

Jonathan Banks Joins Cast of Better Call Saul

Jonathan Banks has reportedly signed on to reprise his role as Michael Ehrmantraut on the Breaking Bad prequel series, Better Call Saul. Deadline is reporting that Banks will be a series regular in the Vince Gilligan conceived production which will chronicle the beginnings of ambulance chasing Laywer, Saul Goodman  before he was recruited by Walter White. Banks starred as the cold and calculating cleaner/enforcer who worked for methamphetamine drug lord, Gustavo Fring on Breaking Bad or as he liked to put it, head of security for Los Pollos Hermanos.

A former police officer, Michael also worked as a private investigator for Saul Goodman and got the criminal lawyer out of some sticky situations. Bank's performance in the first half of season five earned him an Emmy nomination so it'll be great to see him join Bob Odenkirk in this Spinoff series. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have also expressed their interest in reprising their characters but as a prequel it is unlikely their roles would be much more than cameos, but who knows. It remains unclear as to who else may join the cast. I feel Gustavo and Hank are strong possibilities for characters we could see return but I'll definitely be looking forward to some original characters as well.

Better Call Saul is slated to premiere on AMC later this year in November.

What I'm Playing

So this is a new type of article that I will occasionally post to talk about what I'm playing, my likes and dislikes and even recommendations. Note, I play a good deal of older games (2-3 years old) but I'll keep things fresh with new titles and stuff that isn't always found on store shelves.

Dark Souls - Xbox 360

So lately, what have I been playing? I think the question should be, what have I not been playing. I'll start off with Dark Souls. I picked this game up about a month ago after I got about half way through the PC version and realized I was leveling my character all wrong. Instead of using the min/max approach, I balanced my skill points and was being annihilated by common enemies. This time around, I put together a knight build, and played a lot smarter and with more strategy.

People warned me before I bought the game saying that I'd regret it, or return it, or that I'd get so frustrated I might punch a hole in the wall. I haven't felt that way once with Dark Souls. I've had plenty of "screw this" moments but I find the game to be more rewarding than frustrating. When I'm able to tackle a particularly hard area or take down a difficult foe, I feel empowered and accomplished. Completing parts of the game are also so rewarding because they unlock new mysterious areas of the game, ripe for exploring. While the plot is minimalistic, the game play is tense and exciting; I swear, my hands have never sweat so much while playing a game. If you're looking for a challenge and some good fun, try out Dark Souls. I should mention, I also went with Dark Souls because the sequel is right around the corner, March 11th.

Castle Storm - PC

Castle Storm is almost like Angry Birds meets medieval tower defense games. The 2D physics based destruction game comes from Zen studios and pits Knights against Vikings! In the campaign, you take control of the knights and ward off invading vikings using various projectiles, ground soldiers and magical spells. It sounds kind of hokey and looks childish but it's good fun. You gain money to upgrade your weaponry, train your soldiers and fortify your castle.

You can unlock special rooms to add on your castle that give you bonuses during combat. For instance, if you build a treasury room, you collect more gold on the battlefield. Build an architect's room to strengthen your castle walls from enemy attacks. These bonuses only remain active while the room is intact however. One of the cool aspects about Castle Storm though is that you not only ward off invaders but you are sometimes tasked with invading or destroying the enemy castle as well, so you need to be good at multitasking. The game also has multiplayer and cooperative modes which are a blast. Castle Storm is an enjoyable experience and the game is easy to pick up and put down, not requiring a great deal of time or devotion.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag - Xbox 360

After the mess of Assassin's Creed III I really wasn't that excited for AC IV. Sure it looked cool because it has pirates in it, you could sail your ship all around the Caribbean and hunt sharks and stuff but I wasn't ready to drop sixty dollars on the game. However, I had the opportunity to get my hands on a copy and I decided to try it out. I was pleasantly surprised by how addicted I became to the game. Note, I'm not really into Assassin's Creed so much for the plot line anymore, ever since Brotherhood and same goes for Black Flag. The plot is weak and predictable but the gameplay is great.

After a few missions of setting the scene, you come into possession of your ship and crew which you can sail anywhere you want in the Caribbean. This is the biggest world that Ubisoft has created for any Assassin's Creed game. Seriously, it's vast. In between my time sailing to different cities, I come across tons of awesome side quest opportunities such as searching for buried treasure, hunting animals for upgrade materials, searching Myan Ruins, destroying naval forts, harpooning sharks and whales, diving into ship wrecks and boarding enemy ships to steal supplies and ships to recruit to my personal pirate fleet. Yeah, it's pretty nasty the amount of stuff you can get caught up doing in this game.

Myan ruins and ship wrecks often yield items that while help you unlock special armor and weapons or unique upgrades for your ship, so they are worth your time. Combat is great as always in Assassin's Creed and the naval combat is leagues better than it was in AC III. Environments are also richer and more interesting than the frontier. If you're looking for a game to sink some time into, check out Black Flag.

Payday 2 - PC

Payday 2 has been eating up a considerable amount of my time since I bought it during the steam winter sale. I have two brothers who also bought it and I think I remember us playing it for the majority of two or three days while I was still on winter break. The thing I love about Payday is the cooperative play. Playing games is fun but playing games with friends is even more fun, especially when you're robbing banks and jewelry stores and smuggling drugs.

Payday 2 isn't some run and gun shooter where you can take a million hits or shoot every enemy you see. Heists require planning and careful coordination for things to go smoothly. Make a mistake and you'll have the fuzz all up in your business and that just makes things tough. In some missions though it's impossible to avoid conflict and you have to stick to your guns. Each heist isn't always the same either. You may notice small changes such as room locations, number of guards, camera locations and other things change each time you play a mission. It's a good way of keeping players on their toes. You can also increase the mission difficulty for higher payouts in both money and experience.

Money buys you weapons, upgrades for your weapons, and new masks as they become available. Players can spend experience on skills that are split into four categories, each with their own specialty and set of skills. There's the Mastermind, The Enforcer, The Technician, and The Ghost. Each class has a skill tree that you invest points into. My brothers and I took a balanced approach, one of us investing heavily into the Mastermind, one into the Enforcer and myself into the Technician. The variety in our skills gives us an edge and it's fun to plan out the heists based on what skills we have unlocked.

One of the greatest things about Payday is the thrill of the heist. Whether you're trying to keep things quiet or fighting off the police, it's always pretty crazy until you make your escape. If you like cooperative games and something that is pretty hectic but incredibly rewarding, look into Payday.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Trailer Shows Off Orc Hunting

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor just jumped toward the top of my most anticipated games list after watching this trailer because it easily looks like the most impressive Lord of the Rings game yet. Shadow of Mordor follows a Gondorian Ranger, Talion, stationed at the Black Gate of Mordor. The game takes place between the events of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings in a time of peace. The rangers guard the gate ensuring that the peace is kept.

While Guarding the Black Gate, Talion and his family are murdered by the followers of Sauron who are making their return. However, the ranger becomes bound to a wraith in the afterlife which returns him to Middle-Earth as half man, half wraith. The wraith gives Talion special abilities which make him incredibly deadly as he seeks his revenge and allows him to walk in the wraith world (like when Frodo would wear the one ring).

The trailer released by Warner Brothers Entertainment and Monolith details the game's nemesis system which allows enemies to remember previous encounters with players. If you encounter an enemy and they happen to escape or best you in battle (your wraith power resurrects you upon death) they go on to become stronger and can even be promoted in the growing army of Sauron. These enemies can attempt to hide from you, or even actively seek you out in this open-world version of Middle-Earth should they decide to hold a grudge.

The trailer shows Talion infiltrating an Orc camp as he hunts Ratbag, a slaver. A fight breaks out and Talion engages several orcs and goblins similarly to the Arkham games or even Assassin's Creed. Countering and grappling play a large role and Talion deals out some devastating damage with his sword in what looks to be some very fluid combat. Combined with his wraith abilities that allow him to warp up close to enemies and even slow down time (similar to blink in Dishonored) he is a force to be reckoned with.

Ratbag attempts to flee but Talion catches up and uses a power central to the game. Talion has the ability to dominate foes with his wraith powers. Players can choose to have an enemy spy on other foes and gather info, or they can command their minion to carry out an assassination. You can even gain a more fearsome reputation if you command the minion to spread word of your deeds. It isn't always that simple however. Based on the minion you recruit, they may lack the skill to carry out an assassination in which case, players can use this as an opportunity to follow the minion thus revealing the location of their leader.

Talion, bending an enemy to his will

I was truly impressed by what I saw in the trailer. It seems to be introducing a healthy variety of gameplay and the original story and characters to Middle-Earth sure look pleasing. The dynamic and ever changing world full of enemies that grow as you level up is also very intriguing and are sure to add some great entertainment and even a good reason to play through the game more than once.

Keep an eye out for Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor on the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4 and PC later this year and on this blog as more news becomes available.

Rumors: Pixar to Produce Star Wars Film

Rumors are circulating that Pixar will be making their very own Star Wars movie separate from the new trilogy being directed by J.J. Abrams. The report comes from the Latino Review which also claims that Chief Creative Officer of Pixar, John Lasseter is doubling his time at Pixar. It would definitely be very interesting to see a Star Wars Movie done by Pixar. While Star Wars is family Friendly, I imagine that even by Pixar standards, it would be one of the darker productions in their collection.

There is no news of when the film would take place but I personally would like to see a film showing the beginnings of Han Solo and Chewbacca. I don't think any actor could fill the shoes of Harrison Ford in a live-action film, even if they are meant to be a younger version of the cunning scoundrel. Harrison Ford could also provide his cocky voice to complete the character. I would even love to see some completely original characters in times long before any of the movies with more of a focus on the lore of Jedi. The possibilities for potential story lines are endless however when it comes to the Star Wars universe.

A fan rendition of a Pixar Styled Star Wars

Despite the fact that I am one of the biggest Star wars nerds ever and I would love to see this become a reality, I doubt what the Latino Review is reporting is true. While it is very possible that Pixar may be planning a Star Wars movie for the future and it makes a lot of sense for them to do so, I doubt they talked specifically with the folks over at Latino Review about possible plans for a Star Wars film. The end of the article also directs readers to not forget to follow them in all caps. This is more likely a ploy to gain views and to get their name out there with all the excitement surrounding new possibilities for the Star Wars series.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure we'll see a Star wars Pixar movie, but when that is will remain a mystery for now.

New Concept Art for Dragon Age: Inquisition

Bioware has been dropping screenshots and concept art on the web for the past month. A new batch of concept art showing off a variety of landscapes and locations hit the their website earlier today. The art depicts some beautiful scenes and impressive mountainscapes which players will be able to explore along their quests.

There are also a couple of scenes that depict some rather grim looking areas of the game, one of which looks like a murky lake in an underground cavern! It's good to see some variety and that Bioware is interested in keeping things fresh in the upcoming game. The vastness of these scenes should also be taken into account and assure us that there will be plenty of exploring to do when Dragon Age: Inquisition is released later this year!

Details Surface on Next Hitman Game

I wonder if you can choose when and where to go...

Developer IO Interactive sent out an open letter to fans today addressing the status of the next Hitman game. The studio indicated the game is being built for PC and next gen consoles (Xbox One, PS4) and the Glacier 2 engine which had been employed for Absolution will serve again as the engine for this sequel.

IO Interactive says players, "will experience a globetrotting Agent 47 at the prime of his career," and you will again be working with Diana and the ICA. The studio is also diving into previous Hitman games such as Blood Money and Contracts for inspiration to create the ultimate Hitman experience. IO interactive is also taking a new approach to level design which will be checkpoint free and non-linear. The studio promises levels to be bigger and better than ever as they strive to, "create living, breathing and believable levels," that feature various ways to achieve your objective.

Contracts mode will make a return as well allowing players to once again design their own "hits" and challenge players from across the world to beat their scores.

IO Interactive is also doing away with Agent 47's "magic pockets." No longer will players be able to carry around a small army's worth of weaponry. This likely means that rifles will no longer disappear when they are not equipped. However, with Absolution's gameplay allowing 47 to use improvised weapons, I don't see much use for anything more than my Silverballers and fiber wire.

Axes make great improvised weapons

This comes as some rather relieving news after reports about a week ago had indicated the next Hitman game was being canceled. The reports were however quickly addressed and Square Enix gave a statement saying the game was in fact not canceled.

It's very good to see the game is still in production and coming along well. Hitman Absolution was great and a tremendous improvement over the previous games in the series. I'm glad to see IO Interactive is taking steps to make the game more believable and yet keep that distinct Hitman style in the series. IO is promising more news in the future, so here's to hoping we see more before E3 in June!

Sony Reveals PlayStation Network game, Rain

At Gamescom yesterday, Sony revealed a new PlayStation Network game entitled, Rain. In Rain, you play as an invisible boy who can only be seen under pouring rain. The boy is not alone however and the trailer below suggests there is an entire world that rain can reveal. As the boy explores in the rain, you can see other invisible characters and even enemies. A four legged invisible creature is seen chasing the boy at one point. Sony is staying tight-lipped about the game right now so not much more is known concerning the actual story or gameplay but the concept is very intriguing. So far there is no release date but I think it'd be safe to say we can expect to see the Rain on the PS3 sometime in 2013. Keep an eye on Game Quest for future updates on Rain.

Capcom Announces Remember Me

At Gamescom today, Capcom announced a new title being developed by Dontnod named Remember Me. The game is set in the year 2084 in Neo-Paris which is much fancier, lighter and cooler looking than regular old Paris. Players will take control of Nilin, a former memory hunter who went rogue after losing her memory and now seeks the truth that has been hidden from her.


Remember Me focuses on human memories and their significance. As Nilin, you can access the memories of other people in the world through a digital disc like object located at the nape of the neck. What Nilin does is presumably not something just anybody could do. Her unique skill to tap into memories allows her to steal the memory which can reveal vital information to her mission or she can alter the memory. Altering a memory can have a variety of different effects depending on how and what is altered. For instance, in the gameplay trailer revealed, Nilin alters a man's memory to make him believe he killed his wife. When the police approach him, he panics and shoots himself. The gameplay sequence in which the memory is altered almost acts as a small minigame. It challenges players with a puzzle; you are given a set of objects to manipulate which may seem insignificant but prove to have more serious ramifications in the end. The trailer demonstrates that choosing the wrong object doesn't result in immediate failure so it poses the question of whether or no there will be a limited number of attempts. 

Other skills that Nilin posses include the ever so popular and useful art of parkour. She can scale buildings, shimmy on ledges and make dangerous jumps allowing her to get around in a variety of ways.You can catch a glimpse of combat in the announcement trailer which shows Nilin utilizing a lot of hand-to-hand melee combat against large groups of enemies.The gameplay trailer shows off some great visuals; the futuristic skyline of Neo-Paris looks stunning. as Nilin roams the streets, we get a good look at all sorts of digital advertisements, commercials and even a wanted ad for Nilin herself. The city is under heavy surveillance and Nilin is forced to evade floating security bots and other authorities. At a couple points in the gameplay demonstration, she uses some kind of scanning device which lets her identify enemies and their fields of view which are highlighted in red.

Announcement Trailer

Gameplay Trailer

Remember Me is a great concept which resonates with something similar to the story of Jason Bourne. The focus on memory stealing and alteration should also provide great plot elements as well for a story more unique to game players. As of now, I have to say that I'm impressed and personally can't wait to see more on Remember Me. The game is slated for a May 2013 release on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC as of now.

Hitman: Absolution Contract Mode

In Hitman: Absolution, you won't be restricted to assassinating but you'll be able to put hits out yourself in the new Contract Mode. This new challenge will allow players to customize a contract in which they select the target or targets, the level, and which weapons the player is allowed to employ in their assassination. You can also customize witness specifications and designate a time limit for the contract as well. Once the contract is created, you can share it online with the world or challenge your friends directly to complete your contract.

You can also browse through other players contracts which have been uploaded. Completing a contract awards you with a unique type of currency, depending on your performance, which can be used in contract mode to purchase weapons or other features to include in you contract to make it even more challenging and diverse. The currency used in contract mode can also be earned throughout the campaign, likely by completing challenges. Hitman: Absolution will come pre-loaded with several contracts that you can use to get started or draw inspiration from.

IO Interactive's Contract challenge is an awesome idea and will undoubtedly add great value to Agent 47's new adventure. Designing ways for people to be killed should provide endless fun. Hitman: Absolution is set to release on November 20, 2012 for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Sony Announces Until Dawn

Today at Gamescom, Sony announced Until Dawn, a survival horror title being developed by Supermassive Games exclusively for the PS Move. Additionally, Sony revealed a chilling trailer showing some tense gameplay. Until Dawn is based on cliche teen horror movies such as Friday the 13th, Scream and Halloween, so you can expect a lot of dead phone lines, sudden power outages and a hot, ditzy cheerleader.

The plot will follow a group of classmates (presumably High School) who on the anniversary of a former friends disappearance, decide to visit the last place he was seen. Strangely enough, it was a log cabin in the woods on a mountain side; it doesn't get much more isolated than that. After people in the group start turning up dead though, the teens suddenly regret digging up the past.

You'll be able to play as different characters in the party throughout the game. Sometimes you will be alone and sometimes you will have a partner as you fight to stay alive and frantically search for clues to investigate who is killing your friends. Executive Creative Director Will Byles [expects] that Until Dawn will draw you in with its characters, chilling setting and shocking, twisted story. He also suggests in his statements about the game that as you play, you will make choices which will determine which of your friends survive and what kind of ending you get.

Since Until Dawn is being developed exclusively for the PS Move, players will utilize the move controller to aim a flashlight in the darkness, examine clues and activate things such as levers. Sony promises the move controller will reflect natural movements of players in the game which will even further immerse them in the horror experience of Until Dawn.

So what do you think? Does the prospect of a survival horror title engineered for the PS Move sound intriguing or is it too soon to tell? The last motion based survival horror game, Rise of Nightmares for the Kinect definitely came up short but Until Dawn already looks like it has much more potential. The survival horror genre has been a little weak recently with very few titles or games that don't live up to the survival horror experience; so it is nice to see an original title being developed. Check out the trailer and keep an eye out here for more news on Until Dawn.

Check Out Naval Combat in Assassin's Creed III

Protagonist of Assassin's Creed III, Connor is a master when it comes to adapting in the wild surroundings of the colonial New England but when he's not hunting wild game or massacring Redcoats with his tomahawks, he's taking to the high seas to engage the royal navy. Previous Assassin's Creed games have featured vehicles ranging from Leonardo Devinci's war machines to simple horse drawn carriages but the naval battles featured in Assassin's Creed take things to  whole new level.

In the new trailer released by Ubisoft, Connor, in naval garb and a tricorn takes command of a large ship fully equipped with an able bodied crew and canons. As Connor, you take control of the ship, guiding it through the ocean and commending your crew. The trailer features some intense fights full of canon fire, storming seas, mines and even ship commandeering. You can engage enemy ships and board their vessel to put those tomahawks to use.

The naval combat looks like a great addition to the series and will no doubt, distinguish Assassin's Creed III even more from the other games in the series. Look for Assassin's Creed III on the Xbox 360 and PS3 on October 30 and November 20 on the PC. Ubisoft has also announced that Assassin's Creed III will be available as one of the first games on the Wii U.